Snooker Legends

The Snooker Legends[1] was created in 2009 by Jason Francis[2] at Premier Stage Productions[3] to stage events for retired and current snooker players to play exhibition matches once again in some of Snooker's most iconic venues. In 2017, Snooker Legends created the World Seniors Tour for players aged 40 and above. This tour consisted of four events in the 2017/2018 season.

In 2012, events saw Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry join the team. 'The Legends Cup'[10] was staged in Bedworth where a team from England and Northern Ireland beat a team from The Rest of the World 18–16.

In 2012 Snooker Legends staged a series of 7 events between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Jimmy White. In the first match in Croydon Ronnie made a maximum 147 break, the 3rd perfect break since the tour began.

In 2013, there were 12 events held on the Snooker Legends tour.[11] This included the Legends Cup which was again staged in Bedworth on 10–⍌31⍍, and coverage was broadcast live on Eurosport. The teams were England and Northern Ireland vs The Rest of the World, with Dennis Taylor and Cliff Thorburn as respective captains. The Rest of the World won 18-14.[12]

Other events in the same year included the additions of Mark Williams and Joe Johnson to the tour. The format was changed to include doubles matches as well as the single matches, and also involved a colour clearance time challenge in which two teams of doubles cleared only the colours as quickly as they could alternating shots. The exhibitions also gave members of the audience a chance to play a doubles match with the professional players.

The tour started off with visits to Guildford where Chelsea Footballer John Terry played and also Southend, Watford and Durham. In April the legends went back to the crucible with the addition of Joe Johnson and Tony Knowles and then in May moved onto Ipswich and Hamm in Germany. A snookerlegends app was created to show live streaming with the 2014 legends cup shown on pay per view in the app. The Legends Cup saw debuts for 10 times world champion Reanne Evans.

In July 2014 the first snooker legends pro am series was held. This was a competition to allow amateur players to challenge some of the best professionals in the world, receiving a 21 handicap start. The competition as attended by 70 amateurs and won by Daniel Wells who carried off £1200 for beating professional Ben Woollaston 4-3 in the final.

More exhibitions were held with the doubles event in Watford being won by Cliff Thorburn and Tony Drago. Also the Snooker Legends Book was published and the legends cup returned to Goffs in Co Kildare. Ronnie O'Sullivan made a 147 break in Scunthorpe, Copenhagan, Leicester and Newry.